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Post by Nigel Barksworth on Mar 24, 2010 23:31:08 GMT -5
Never slow down. If Nigel had a motto, that was what it would be. Slowing down meant getting old, and getting old meant being closer to death. Nigel always wanted to make every moment count, to live his life to the fullest. Luckily for him, he had chosen the right profession to do just that. He and his band, the Wrackspurts, pretty much had the wizarding world at their feet.
Normally, at this time of night, they would be playing to a packed house in a club just like this one. But a scheduling snafu had left them with a rare night off, and while half of the band went home to get some well-deserved sleep, Nigel went out to have a little fun. After all, what good was it to be a rock star if one didn't get to have a little fun once in a while?
They'd be playing at Enchanted next week, and since the club had opened up while the Wrackspurts had been touring Europe, Nigel had not had the chance to check the new place out. That was his excuse, anyway, if his manager found out.
He made no effort to blend in with the crowd. He was wearing shimmering silver robes and a large purple hat trimmed in sequins. A few heads turned and he grinned at a few people as he made his way to the bar to order a drink.
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Post by Eddie Shriver on Mar 26, 2010 15:00:32 GMT -5
Making a much more subtle and virtually unnoticeable entrance was Eddie. He could take or leave the club scene. Sometimes, it was fun to get plastered and just lose yourself in the steady beats of the music, but he generally didn't come unless he was with a group of friends. He wasn't really the type that came to look for a hook up.
It was also a little known fact that he worked as a bouncer for a while, and the club atmosphere usually put him on high alert.
Tonight was supposed to be low key. The girl working the bar was a friend of his back from his bouncer days, actually, and it was her first night. He came for the moral support.
When he took a seat at the bar, he didn't even notice the flashy outfit next to him, at least not until the girl behind the bar gave him a subtle little nod.
"Evening, boys. What can I get you?"
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Post by Yvonne Marquette on Mar 26, 2010 18:44:44 GMT -5
Yvonne wasn't paying a lot of attention at the moment and didn't actually recognize Eddie right away. After all, the man next to him was wearing shimmering silver and vivid purple. She had probably heard music by the Wrackspurts before, but she didn't really put it together that the man in front of her was a member of that band. In her own time, she mostly listened to muggle music.
So she started to take their orders, but then happened to glance at Eddie and broke into a smile. "Eddie!" she squealed, and leaned far over the edge of the bar to give him a quick hug. "I'm glad you could stop by tonight. I wasn't sure you could make it. How are you?"
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Post by Eddie Shriver on Mar 26, 2010 18:55:07 GMT -5
Eddie's smile was slow to his lips, but he pushed himself up and forward in his seat to meet her halfway for the hug. "Yvonne, darling, you look amazing."
He always tended to shower her with compliments when he saw her. Good friends should be treated well, he always thought.
"I'm doing really well. How's it going so far? Well?" Just a little more quietly, he nodded to the other man. "Go ahead and help him... and we'll catch up in your down time. It looks pretty packed tonight."
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Post by Yvonne Marquette on Mar 26, 2010 19:05:01 GMT -5
Yvonne smiled. Sometimes it really did make a difference to have a friendly face around in a job like this. "Thanks, babe," she said. "You, too, of course. It's going good so far," she added. "It only just start to get crowded about an hour ago, so I've had time to ease into it a little."
She nodded and turned back to the man in silver. She shouldn't keep him waiting long; he looked like he would get annoyed if she didn't take care of him quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was annoy the customers on the first night. "What can I get for you?"
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Post by Nigel Barksworth on Mar 27, 2010 0:49:57 GMT -5
Nigel had been watching the exchange curiously out of the corner of his eye. The girl was an attention-getter, to be sure. There night have been a time when he would have even been interested in her. She was bold and outspoken and seemed to make no apologies for it. He liked that in a person... a person full of fire.
But it was actually the guy she was hugging that caught his eye. Were they a couple? They hugged, she was glad to see him; he called her darling and she called him babe. But there hadn't been a kiss on the lips, and if they were a couple, surely they would have. Perhaps he could start a conversation with the guy--had she called him Eddie? It was always good to start with a name...
"I'll have a martini, my sweet," he said as Yvonne addressed him directly. "But, please, leave out the olive, will you? They make me gag."
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Post by Yvonne Marquette on Mar 27, 2010 0:55:23 GMT -5
Most other bartenders probably would have thought this to be too much information. But Yvonne was not easily shocked, and instead of revulsion crossing her features, she broke into a smile. "You know? Me too, actually. Or, well, they used to. I've started to get used to them, at least to the point where I can touch them to put them in a drink. I still don't eat them, though, no matter how hard Eddie here tries to convince me. It's crazy... my parents were French and Italian, so you'd think I would have cultivated a taste for them."
She rolled her eyes playfully and pulled out a martini glass. "One martini, hold the olive, coming up. Anything for you, Eddie?"
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Post by Eddie Shriver on Mar 28, 2010 10:25:41 GMT -5
Eddie, on the other hand, took one look at Nigel and was pretty sure he could correctly peg him (no pun intended) as someone who played for the same team he did. If the outfit didn't give him away, the way he answered Yvonne did. Not to say that he screamed it or anything, but there were certain words that straight men just did not use in normal conversation. 'Gag' was one of them.
He could have been wrong, of course, and it wasn't like he particularly cared, either way.
When Yvonne's attention was back on him, he smiled and shook his head at her. "You're both missing out. Give me a martini, love, extra olives. I like it dirty," he added with a playful (and joking) wink.
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Post by Yvonne Marquette on Mar 28, 2010 23:28:48 GMT -5
"Yeah, I bet you do," Yvonne replied teasingly as she got out another martini glass.
Turning away for a moment, she got out the gin and vermouth and began to mix the drinks. Martinis were actually one of the first drinks she had ever learned to mix, having been taught to do it by her father. She thought of him every time she made one.
She finished quickly and turned back around, pouring the drinks into the martini glasses, then getting out the olives for Eddie. "All right. One dirty martini for Eddie. And for you, sir, would you like a lemon wedge instead?"
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Post by Nigel Barksworth on Mar 28, 2010 23:38:18 GMT -5
Nigel had been watching the man called Eddie as he watched the girl. He was now relatively certain that they were not a couple. There was a casual playfulness to their relationship, like very good friends. It might be worth his time just to chat with the bloke and see what happened.
"Yes, thank you, darling, that would be divine," he answered her, taking his hat off and leaning against the back of the barstool.
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Post by Eddie Shriver on Mar 29, 2010 14:18:00 GMT -5
Divine was another one of those words, unless you were a preacher. Eddie smiled to himself, and nodded when Yvonne put the drink in front of him. "Thanks, love."
He was a more quiet type anyway, and he let the colorful man next to him sort of take charge, as it were. He was just here to support Yvonne, anyway, and she seemed like she was doing just fine tonight. Still, he felt awkward sitting next to the guy while Yvonne made easy conversation with him, and he was just silent.
"You know, I've never really tried a Martini with lemon instead." He personally thought that a Martini was wasted without an olive or three, but who was he to judge?
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Post by Nigel Barksworth on Mar 29, 2010 23:10:37 GMT -5
Nigel smiled and took a sip from the drink Yvonne set in front of him. "Ah, that's perfect, love," he told her, before swiveling in his seat to face Eddie. He couldn't deny that he'd hoped to have an opportunity to speak directly with Eddie, and this was as good as he could hope for. "You should try it some time. I think it adds an extra zip... Vermouth can be so very dry, and the lemon gives it a wake up call, if you know what I mean."
As he sat sideways in his chair, he became aware of a couple of young witches standing nearby, whispering to each other. He was used to this, and in fact, it was rather surprising that he'd made it this long here before the fans started approaching. Still, he chose to focus his attention on the man next to him. "So I take it you're Eddie," he began, holding out a hand to him. "The name's Nigel."
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Post by Eddie Shriver on Mar 30, 2010 12:59:42 GMT -5
"I like the dry taste... I think the acidity of the lemon would ruin it...." he gave Nigel a shy, almost apologetic smile. "Personal opinion, though, of course."
He eased the tension in his shoulders as Nigel shifted to face him, realizing they were now engaged in a legitimate conversation. Still facing the bar, he shifted his torso a bit to face the man and extended his hand.
"I am indeed Eddie. It's a pleasure."
His eyes shifted to the girls that Nigel was eyeing, and then he smirked. "Adoring fans?" he asked, completely joking as he had no idea a rockstar was sitting next to him.
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Post by Nigel Barksworth on Mar 30, 2010 15:49:48 GMT -5
Nigel rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively. Just as Eddie had no idea that Nigel was a rock star, Nigel had no idea that Eddie didn't know who he was. After all, dressed as he was, it should have been fairly obvious that he wasn't just an average bloke. However, if he had known that Eddie didn't know who he was, he actually would have been more intrigued by him.
"Oh, probably," he said. "I'm used to it. And they're not my type, anyway, if you know what I mean."
He raised an eyebrow at Eddie before finally waving the girls over. "Oh, come on, then, don't be shy. You'll be wanting an autograph, I suppose?"
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Post by Eddie Shriver on Mar 30, 2010 16:05:01 GMT -5
Well, that was a bit cocky, wasn't it? Eddie frowned, but before he could really say anything, he was inviting the girls over for an autograph. Predictibly, they blushed and giggled before finally coming over shyly.
Eddie, confused, looked to Yvonne. "I was joking," he mouthed to her, but he had to check if she had any idea who this guy was. He felt ridiculous for not knowing.
He watched Nigel interaction with his real fans. More definitely fell into place where this guy was concerned, but clearly not enough. Not yet.
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Post by Yvonne Marquette on Mar 30, 2010 23:31:54 GMT -5
Yvonne was taken by surprise as well, and her expression clearly showed it. This guy sure did think he was something. When Eddie caught her eye, she shrugged innocently. Like Eddie, she was only marginally involved with the wizarding world, and didn't use magic very often. Her apartment was in muggle London, and she listened mostly to muggle music, except when she was here. So she had no idea who this man was.
But as he started signing autographs, a thought occurred to her and she abruptly turned around and began looking on the wall behind the bar until she found it: A flier advertising the appearance of a wizard rock band here at the club tomorrow night. She's never heard of the Wrackspurts, but the lead singer waving at her from the page looked a lot like the man sitting in front of her. Turning around, she looked at Eddie, then pointed at the flier.
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Post by Nigel Barksworth on Mar 30, 2010 23:48:25 GMT -5
Luckily, only a few of the fans had decided to approach him. He could handle five or six. If it started to be a crowd, however, he would have to deny them. It was, after all, his night off, and he'd be performing here tomorrow night. And he needed to have a little fun.
"Yes, dear, how shall I sign it? Janine, lovely name, dear..." He was very polite and gracious to each girl, addressing them by name and giving them a personalized autograph. But the whole thing seemed to catch the attention of a number of other fans, and pretty soon, there were about two dozen fans gathering. He would have to put a stop to it.
"OK, then, I'm afraid that's it for tonight. It's my night off, you know, and I'll be performing here tomorrow night. I'll personally make sure you get not just all of my autographs, but the rest of the bands' as well, but I do need a break tonight, if you don't mind."
They looked disappointed, but the crowd quickly dispersed, leaving Nigel to get back to Eddie. "My apologies," he said, shaking his head. "I thought it better to get that out of the way, rather than having them continue to hover. So... what were we talking about?"
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Post by Eddie Shriver on Apr 2, 2010 13:19:36 GMT -5
Eddie caught Yvonne's nod, and by the time Nigel's attention was back on the other man, Eddie was squinting at the poster.
Hearing the sound of his voice, Eddie turned his head with a look that quite clearly said, "I'm confused."
Had he been a more open kind of person, he would have asked point blank if Nigel was that Nigel, the one on the poster.
Instead, he shifted his take on the situation and smiled charmingly. "You know, I was kidding about the 'adoring fans' thing. I didn't know."
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Post by Nigel Barksworth on Apr 2, 2010 13:51:32 GMT -5
Nigel flashed a grin at Eddie. "Oh, not to worry, so was I. I pay those girls to follow me around where ever I go, it makes me feel special."
He laughed at this, then shook his head. "Really, though, it's no big deal. I'm not here to make a fuss tonight, and it's perfectly fine if you've no idea who I am. Actually, I'm no one of consequence. Just an average bloke out to have a drink and meet people."
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Post by Yvonne Marquette on Apr 4, 2010 23:06:56 GMT -5
Yvonne watched all this with a smile. Eddie was a good guy and she absolutely adored him. Sometimes, if she was honest with herself, it hurt just a little bit that she would never be his "type," but she'd never tell him that. All she really cared about was that he was happy, and if he found a nice guy who could do that for him, she was happy for him.
This Nigel fellow... well, he was an odd sort. Not the type Eddie usually went for, but he was fun and lively, and had a good sense of humor. Maybe he'd help Eddie to loosen up a little more. Or maybe it would just be a fun fling. Yvonne would never stand in his way.
"OK, you two. A girl knows when she's not wanted. I'm just going to leave you two alone to talk for a bit. You give me a holler if you need anything. I think I'll go flirt with that cute guy down on the other end of the bar. Unless... he's not...?" she added, looking to Eddie. He was pretty good at spotting these things.
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